Cigarette dispenser having an electrical lighting means



Jan. 30, 1968 w. BEHA ET AL CIGARETTE DISPENSER HAVING AN ELECTRICAL LIGHTING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1966 Fig. 7

Inventors h HATER BEl/A Jan. 30, 1968 w, BEHA ET AL 3,366,275

CIGARETTE DISPENSER HAVING AN ELECTRICAL LIGHTING MEANS Filed May 25, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors Wfl/TER flEf/A FAEDY MUSCf/IOL Jan. 30, 1968 w. BEHA ET AL 3,366,275

CIGARETTE DISPENSER HAVING AN ELECTRICAL LIGHTING MEANS Filed May 25, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventors W44 TEE BEHA FAEDY flN/SC/HDA, 7 M Z m Jan. 30, 1968 w. BEHA ET AL 3,366,275

CIGARETTE DISPENSER HAVING AN ELECTRICAL LIGHTING MEANS Filed May 25, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventors WflATE/E BEHA 6 FRED) Masai/10A mmweys Jan. 30,1968 w. BEHA ET AL 3,366,275

CIGARETTE DISPENSER HAVING AN ELECTRICAL LIGHTING MEANS Filed May 25,- 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet a Fig. 9

Inventors WALTER BEHH 5 FREDY Muse/um mim United States Patent 3,366,275 CIGARETTE DISPENSER HAVING AN ELEQTRICAL LIGHTING MEANS Walter Betta and Fredy Muschiol, Frankfurt am Main,

Germany, assignors to Schoeller & Co. Elektrotechnische Fahrih, Frankfurt am Main-Sud, Germany Filed May 25, 1966, Ser. No. 552,919 (Iiaims priority, application Germany, May 28, 1965, Sch 37,137 2 Claims. (Cl. 221-147) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved automatic cigarette dispenser of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,936,930 wherein a cigarette is moved through the dispenser during which it is lighted and then partly ejected so that its tip protrudes from the dispenser, the improvements including providing the necessary movements with a motor-powered cam arrangement abutting, but otherwise not physically connected to, the parts of the dispenser actuated through movement. This affords ready removal of the powering motor for repairs.

The invention concerns an automatic cigarette dispenser driven by an electric motor having a cigarette storage chamber, an electric igniting device and conveying means controlled by cams, which convey cigarettes from the storage chamber to the lighting device and from there to a partially ejected position in a removal opening of the face plate of the housing of the cigarette dispenser.

A cigarette dispenser of the type contemplated herein is already known in a general way from US. Patent No. 2,936,930 issued on May 17, 1960 and incorporated by reference herein. In this known type of cigarette dispenser, the storage compartment has two pivotal base plates which leave a gap exposed between them which is closed by means of a chute plate after a cigarette has passed through, both the opposed movements of the base plates and the movement of the chute plate being controlled by means of a slide operating at right angles to the gap and which is motivated by a connecting rod moved by pressure applied to a button. An operating rod with a pawl and ratchet connection to the connecting rod during its advance and displaceable parallel therewith is provided, the pawl engaging in the rear end position of the connecting rod. The return motion of the rod takes place by means of a spring during which period it switches the heating current of a lighting device on and off and finally by disengaging the pawl, initiates the return of the connecting rod. A one-armed pivot lever is controlled by the rod, which conveys the cigarette by means of a linearly guided holding claw to the lighting device during the advance of the connecting rod, and on return of the rod, conveys it into the removal opening. To actuate the base plates in this dispenser, the holding claw for the cigarettes, and the heating current circuit, spring-loaded slides connecting rods and pivot levers are provided so that a considerable number of mechanical elements are necessary to control the functional cycle. The number of these parts may however be considerably reduced if instead of using springs to actuate the cigarette dispenser an electric motor is used which drives camsfor controlling the apparatus.

The object of the present invention is to develop a drive for a cigarette dispenser in such a manner that the moving parts are readily accessible, and for purposes of maintenance or repair may be readily removed from the remaining parts of the cigarette dispenser. This is attained in the simplest and most advantageous manner in accordance with the invention by arranging that an electric motor together with a reduction gear and a cam-shaft form a "ice readily replaceable driving unit located in a separate housing. The arrangement of the driving unit on a drawer-like chassis permits it to be readily removed from the housing of the cigarette dispenser for repair or replacement by a new unit.

A preferred form of drive consists in that a cam controls the movements of a pivotal base plate of the storage chamber and a revolving plate supported against the slider by means of a strap bent at right angles from the slider. A further cam may actuate a pivot lever to displace the holding claw arranged in a trough for the cigarette to be conveyed. The end of the pivot lever may be bifurcated and receive a pin mounted on the holding claw between the shanks. Cams may also be provided having bevelled surfaces for closing and opening contacts for the heating and motor circuit. A push-button switch is conveniently arranged on the face plate of the cigarette dispenser for starting the electric motor.

To ensure satisfactory completion of the individual operations in the cigarette dispenser and to eliminate breakdowns, further steps are taken in accordance with the invention to prevent the push-button switch from being actuated until the lighted cigarette has been removed from the cigarette dispenser. For this purpose a feeler lever may be provided at the removal opening for the lighted cigarette and actuated thereby, the feeler acting on a slider mounted on the push-button switch. This slider, for locking and releasing the push-button switch, has recesses of varying length for a pin fixed to the switch. The slider may also have contacts for switching on and off a dispenser lighting unit at the removal opening for the cigarette. This dispenser lighting constitutes an optical warning to the user to indicate that the lighted cigarette has not yet been removed from the removal opening. The slider is located and guided by means of two rivets mounted on the push-button switch. It is connected with the feeler lever by means of a spring, and with the housing by means of a return spring.

To ensure satisfactory lighting of a cigarette a series resistance reduces the current to the driving motor during the lighting operation. This permits a rapid conveyance of the cigarette to the lighting element, adequate time for lighting the cigarette and a rapid conveyance of the lighted cigarette to the removal opening.

For a detailed explanation of the invention reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of the cigarette dispenser in a normal position,

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the cigarette dispenser in the first phase of conveying a cigarette and before lighting,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cigarette dispenser in the lighting position after removal of the base plates and the chute plate,

FIG. 4 is a plan view, of FIG. 3, in the dispensing position,

FIG. 5 is a side view of the driving unit,

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the driving unit,

FIG. 7 is a front end view of the face plate partially in section, to show the push-button switch,

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the push-button switch with slider and feeler lever, and

FIG. 9 is a wiring diagram of the cigarette dispenser.

The dispenser comprises a housing 1 with a storage compartment 2, a conveyor device 3, a lighting element (not shown), a driving unit 4, cams 5 to 8 which control the functional cycle of the apparatus, and an actuating knob 9 for switching on the apparatus.

The storage compartment 2 is provided with two displaceable base plates 10 and 11 and a chute plate 12. The base plate 10 and the plate 12 are moved by a slider 13 and the base plate 11 by an angled member 14. The slider 13 has lateral right angle portions 15 and 16 with slots 17 which engage pins 18 mounted on the front and rear wall of the housing. One of the downwardly directed right angle portions 19 of the slider 13, is secured to the cam and the other 20 to the revolving plate 12. The angle member 14 is tilted vertically downwards by the rib 21 of the slider 13 against the action of a spring 22 and displaces the base plate 11 by means of the guide pin 23 and the guide slot 24. An end plate 25 serves to deposit a cigarette Z in the channel formed by the plate 12 and the base plate 11. Adjacent to the end plate 25 is the conveyor device 3 with a trough 30 for the pivotal and resilientl niounted holding claw 31, which i controlled by means of the cam 6 via an angle lever 32, a fork 33 of which engages a pin 34 secured on the holding claw 31 to convey the cigarette Z from the original position in FIG. 2 into the lighting position FIG. 3, and then into the dispensing position FIG. 4, so that the lighted cigarette projects from the face plate of the housing from which it may then be removed. Control devices effect the opening and closing of the holding claw 31; springs 35 and 36 draw the right angled member 19 of the slider 13 and the roller 37 of the lever 32 against the control surfaces of the cams 5 and 6.

The driving unit shown in FIG. 5 and 6 is located in the framelike housing 40. An electric motor 41 drives the shaft 44 via a worm gear 42, 43, and the latter in turn by means of a further worm gear 45, 46 drives the camshaft 47 with the cams 5 to 8. Switches 48 and 49 serve to control the motor and heating circuit for the electric igniting device and are actuated by the cams 7 and 8, which have bevel surfaces. The parts shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 form a complete structural unit, which is inserted in the housing 1 through a recess formed in the rear wall thereof. The electric motor 41 is set in motion by means of the actuating button 9 on the face plate.

The base plates and 11 directed diagonally downwards are moved up and down in opposite directions to one another. This movement of the base plates serves the purpose of preventing cigarettes from forming a bridge or from being mutually supported in the storage container, and ensures a reliable progressive movement of one cigarette at a time into the conveyor means of the cigarette dispenser. The slider 13 moves to the right and thus engages the chute plate 12 which lifts the base plate 10 of the storage compartment 2, closing the gap between the two base plates 10 and 11 at the bottom and pushing the cigarette Z to the right off the closure plate 25. At the same time the slider 13 with its web 21 presses against the rotatably mounted angle member 14 connected with the base plate 11, against the action of the spring 22, so that the base plate 11 is pressed downward. This movement is limited in both directions by a guide slot 24 and a guide pin 23 at the end edge of the base plate 11. The cooperation of the upwardly moving base plate 10 and the downwardly rotating base plate 11 causes the cigarettes in the storage compartment 2 to be displaced towards one another, so that mutual supporting or bridge formations in the cigarette storage are eliminated and the mobility of the individual cigarettes remains unimpaired.

The cigarette Z displaced by the plate 25 at right angles to its longitudinal axis drops into a holding claw 31 which is opened by the movement of the slider 13 to the right. The holding claw 31 is guided in a longitudinal slot of a feed trough 38 which, apart from guiding the holding claw 31, also serves the purpose of preventing the cigarette from tilting when dropping into the holding claw. After the cigarette has been conveyed by the holding claw to the igniting device where it is lighted (FIG. 3) it is conveyed to the dispensing opening (FIG. 4) the holding claw opening again to permit the cigarette to be removed. The complete functional cycle of the apparatus is initiated by actuating the push-button switch 9, whereafter it is controlled by the driving unit 4 until the lighted cigarette protrudes from the removal opening.

CAD

When the electric motor 41 has again returned the control elements into the normal position it is shut oil automatically. A new working cycle is initiated by redepressing the button.

The push-button switch 9, as evident from FIGS. 7 and 8, is secured to the face plate 50 of the cigarette dispenser and has a contact 51 shown in FIG. 9 for switching on the electric motor 41. The slider 52, which is held by the guide rivets 53 and 54 is mounted on the switch 9. This slider is connected by means of spring 55 which a feeler lever 57 rotatably mounted on a pin 56. The feeler lever 57 projects into the removal opening of the front plate and is tilted by the cigarette which, after lighting, is pushed out of this opening by the holding claw 31. Recesses 58 and 59 are machined in the slider 52 to permit pin 60, secured to the displaceable part of the switch 9, to engage therein. The slider 52 has a right angled contact spring 61 located thereon which together with the tongue 62 forms the contact for switching the lamp 64 on and oil, and which indicates by lighting up that a lighted cigarette is located in the removal opening. A lead 65 leads from contact 63 of the slider 52 to the lamp 64. A return spring 66 connected with the housing 1 ensures that the slider 52, after the lighted cigarette has been removed, returns again into its original position.

A lamp 68 connected in parallel with the igniting element 67 does not light up until the igniting element 67 glows to light the cigarette. A resistance 69 connected by means of the contact 49 in series with the electric motor 41 ensures that during the lighting operation a reduced current flows through the motor 41, which then runs at a lower speed. An impulse from contact 51 of the push-button switch 9 causes the motor 41 to start and closes the contact 48, which then ensures the continued operation of the motor.

The mode of operation of the cigarette dispenser is explained below with reference to FIG. 9.

By actuating the push-button switch 9 an impulse is transmitted from the contact 51 to the motor 41 which starts; cam 7 closes the contact 48 to cause the motor to continue operating. When contact 48 is opened, contact 49 actuated by cam 8 closes simultaneously and switches the igniting element 67 on and the resistance 69 in series with the motor 41, which by virtue of the reduced current operates at a lower speed. The greater proportion of current now flows through the lighting element 67 and the lamp 68 lights up. On completion of the lighting operation contact 49 opens, whilst at the same time contact 48 closes, so that the motor again operates at full speed until the cigarette has been conveyed into the removal opening and contact 48 opens again. When the lighted cigarette arrives in the removal opening, it tilts the feeler lever 57, which by means of spring 55 pulls the slider 52 in FIG. 8 to the right closing the contact 63, which causes the lamp 64 to light up. The displacement of the slider 52 causes the short recess 59 to assume a position blocking the pin 60, so that the push-button switch is locked until the lighted cigarette has been removed from the removal opening. Then the slider is again pulled to the left by the spring 66 so that pin is inserted in the long recess 58, so that the pushbutton switch and hence contact 51 can be actuated again.

We claim:

1. An automatic cigarette dispenser comprising a housing having a cigarette dispensing opening therein, an electric cigarette lighter located within said housing on the side remote from said dispensing opening, a cigarette storage compartment formed within said housing having a depending cigarette dispensing chute, a conveyor located in a starting position beneath said cigarette dispensing chute adjacent said electric cigarette lighter and operatively arranged for movement through a cigarette dispensing stroke to a position adjacent said housing dispensing opening such that said conveyor is effective to convey cigarettes, one at a time, from said storage compartrnent to said electric cigarette lighter and thence into a partially ejected position from said cigarette dispensing opening, conveyor powering means including an electric motor, a camshaft operatively arranged to be powered in rotation by said electric motor, cams on said camshaft in abutment with said conveyor to cam said conveyor through movement and an energization circuit for said motor, said energization circuit including a push-button switch for starting the operation of the motor and an ofr" switch located adjacent said dispensing opening and adapted to be actuated by a dispensed cigarette.

2. A cigarette dispenser according to claim 1 wherein said energization circuit includes a light and contacts 6 mounted on said conveyor for switching on said light to signal the presence of a cigarette at said dispensing opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,878,960 3/1959 Holtsch 2214 2,936,930 5/1960 Bott et al. 221--15 3,294,285 12/1966 Kovacevic 221--147 FOREIGN PATENTS 974,581 11/1964 Great Britain.

WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner. 

